Volkswagen 'Considering' Replacing CEO Matthias Mller With the Diess Man

Volkswagen Group is thinking about replacing chief executive Matthias Müller with the head of its VW brand, Herbert Diess. According to inside sources, however, the decision already appears to have been made. When questioned about staffing changes, the company said it was “considering evolving the leadership structure” as it relates to the the management board — which could extend to a change in CEOs.

An automaker typically wouldn’t even hint at such a thing if it wasn’t already a done deal. That means Müller is almost guaranteed to be moving on soon, bringing his extended history with the company to a close. A true company man, Matthias completed a tooling apprenticeship at Audi in 1977, before a reprieve where he left to study computer engineering. Returning to the brand in 1984, Müller moved up the ranks swiftly — eventually becoming CEO of Porsche in 2010 and replacing Martin Winterkorn as Volkswagen AG’s CEO during 2015’s diesel emissions scandal.

While his contract is good until 2020, the company could still press for an early retirement. In fact, some reports even have Müller removed from his post already.

Müller’s ties to Winterkorn haven’t done him any favors; as a result, he has been under investigation in Germany over speculation that he withheld important information relating to the company’s emissions scandal from investors. A separate investigation is looking into potential market manipulation. Those probes haven’t turned up anything solid, but offloading Müller could be an easy way for VW to avoid further executive scrutiny. The current VW brand boss, Herbert Diess, is the most likely candidate for replacement.

According to German outlet Handelsblatt, ditching Müller would give Volkswagen the fresh start it needs. Diess is not the only candidate under consideration, though. Volkswagen Truck & Bus boss Andreas Renschler is also in the running, but Diess’ higher profile and VW’s current drive to reestablish itself as a more competitive mass-market brand gives him the edge.

Apparently, the Porsche and Piech families, which control much of the action behind the scenes at VW Group, were in agreement to replace Müller. Some of them are unlikely to be thrilled about having to replace him so soon after losing Winterkorn. Even less excited will be Volkswagen’s labor leaders, who have been at odds with Diess over job cuts since 2016.

Volkswagen issued an official statement on the issue that lacks the kind of clarity one would hope for in a corporate release, especially one relating to management changes. It references numerous considerations in regard to shifting VW’s businesses management structure, mentions personnel changes to the board, but never dives into specifics.

“On the basis of these considerations, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is currently in discussions with certain members of the Supervisory Board and of the Board of Management,” stated the release. “Mr. Matthias Müller showed his general willingness to contribute to the changes. It is currently open whether the considerations and discussions will lead to a further development of the management structure or to personnel changes in the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft.”

The vagueness is overwhelming. We hoping for something more concrete soon.

[Image: Volkswagen AG]